It is well known in the prior art to provide corkscrews and also devices that cut the capsules which cover the cork. In particular, certain corkscrews utilize an extraction screw which screws axially into the cork and includes a means for axial removal of the cork.
There are also devices that cut the upper portion of the capsule so as to allow the capsule to be removed with the cork. Such devices are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 786,892 and European Patent No. 0220850. These devices, if integrated into a single device (as shown in German Patent No. 839,319 and French Patent No. 8200828), can operate only by means of two separate extraction operations. It is first necessary to cut and remove the upper portion of the capsule. After that operation, the cork can then be extracted. In fact, these devices have, at one end, the screw for the extraction of the cork and, at the other end, the means to cut and extract the capsule.
German Patent No. 8913678 discloses a cutting device that utilizes a conical cup that includes elastic fins. These elastic fins have, at their extremity, a cutting means which can cut the upper portion of the capsule that covers the upper extremity of the bottle. German Patent No. 3927261 discloses a corkscrew having an elastic guide cup. The guide cup has, at its extremity, a cutting means for cutting the upper portion of the capsule that covers the upper extremity of the bottle. The cutting means is activated by pressing downwardly and by rotating the complete corkscrew. Each of these devices has the disadvantage of having separate functions which occur before the use of the corkscrew. They have the disadvantage of requiring the rotation of the entire device for the purpose of cutting the upper portion of the capsule that covers the upper extremity of the body. German Patent No. 3927261 requires that the operator clasp, with one hand, the fins of the corkscrew and, with the other hand, rotate the bottle. After that, the operator can operate the screw handle for the extraction of the cork. In German Patent No. 8913678, it is not easy to rotate the cutting device because of the required downward pressure. The operator is required to press the cutting means with one hand and to rotate the bottle with the other hand.
It is an object of the present invention to conveniently remove the upper portion of the capsule which covers the upper extremity of the bottle while simultaneously allowing for the removal of the cork.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.